Ore-concentrator



2 sneets -sn'eet 2.

W. MQDERMOTT.

(No Model.)

ORE OONGENTRA'IOR.

N0. 292,245. Patented Jan. 22, 1884.

IIIIII'III INVENTO/Y By his Attorneys WITNESSES 56 PATENT OFFICE-O \VALTER MODERMOTT, OF ORANGE, NE\V JERSEY.

ORE-CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,245, dated January 22, 1884.

Application filed February '26, 1883. No model.)

f (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER MoDnRMoT'r, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful 'Improvementsin Ore-Concentrators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of fine-,

' ore or slime concentrators inwhich the pulp or crushed ore in water is distributed regularly on a table or separating-surface, and

is there exposed to the cleansing action of clear water, which washes off the lighter or waste rock, leaving the heavy mineral adhering to the surface, from which it is afterward washed or brushed off into a special receptacle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation partly in section, and Fig. 2 is a plan view, of my improved machine. In the drawings, A is the surface or table on which the separation or concentration is effected. This table A, which I prefer to make in the form of a cone having a very small height, is supported bythe collars B and B on the hollow shaft 0 in such a way that the shaft 0 can revolve freely in them. The vertical hollow shaft 0 is supported at its lower end, which is closed by the step T, and at its upper end it revolves in a bearing,

M, which also forms a water-tight coupling connecting the water-pipe D with the hollow shaft 0. Just at the highest part of the table'A a circular pipe, E, which is provided with cocks at short intervals, is attached to and connected with the hollow shaft 0. The circular feed-box F with the spout F is fixed to the shaft 0 above the pipe E.

G 'is 'a launder, which supplies the feed-box F with pulp. Three circular launders, H H H, are situated .j ust below the lower edge of the table A, which slightly overhangs the inner launder, H. The upper edges of these launders are at all points equidistant from the lower edge of the table A, while their bot-j toms are given a fall in each direction from one pointto the place of discharge at the opposite side of their circumference, in order to V create a flow of the material falling into them totheplace of discharge.

To the under side of the table A, at any" convenient point, is fixed a lug, I, to ,whichis attached the connecting-rod K from a small crank, J, on a counter-shaft at one side of the machine. 'At any convenient position,as at L, are gears for driving the hollow shaft 0.

P and P are adjustable deflecting-plates, which are carried by the arms 0 0, attached to a collar, Q, beneath the feed-box F, or to the said feedbox, or to any convenient place on the shaft 0. These arms 0 are secured to the collar Q by bolts passing through slots in said collar, so that the plates P may be adjusted as to operative position by passing one plate or section under the next one.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The shaft 0 is slowly revolved by the gears L, and carries with it the feed-box F,circnlar jetpipe E,and the arms 0 O with the deflectingplates P P. At the same time the table A receives a gentle shaking motion by the action of the'crank J and connecting-rod K, which give the table a short alternating rotary movecocks with which it is provided, The shaking and washing to which the pulp is subjected on the table A spreads the pulp over its surface, and the lighter waste rock, being ;kept suspended by the shaking in the water with which it is mixed, is washed down over ithe edge of the table A into the inner launder,

jcovered with smooth wood or rubber, the

strike the slime or fine ore afterit is deposited on the table A are comparatively light, while ing force to the end of the series. the series of jets washes away the light waste clean mineral settled on and adhering to the ment on its axis about the hollow shaft 0. As

and. thence it passes to the pipe E and the 1H, while the heavier mineral settles on'and, iadheres'to the surface of the table A, which is gshaking motion of the table being suff ciently gentle and uniform not to disturb the adhe-f 9 :sion of the particles of ore to the table A af- :ter they have once settled onto its: surfacex -The series of jets of water from thecirculari pipe E are so regulated that the first jets which the succeeding jets have a regularly-increas' The first of matter into the launder H, leaving the heavy surface of the table A, from which it is washed *by the more powerful streams from the last I of the series of jets from the pipe E. This series of jets may be so adjusted as to deal with slimes which contain minerals of different specific gravitics, as well as those which contain but a single mineral, and not only to cleanse them of the waste rock and earthy matter, but also to separate the denser minerals from the lighter with aconsiderable degree of precision. This is effected by so regulating the force of the jets in the pipe E by means of the cooks that they shall first wash away the light waste matter, then the lighter mineral matter, and lastly the heaviest minera].

In order that each of the matters thus sepzr rated on the table A may be delivered and kept apart by itself,I arrange deflecting-plates P P in such a way that they throw the minerals of different specific gravityinto separate launders as they are washed off the table A. These plates P P, which may be of sheet-iron or any other suitable material, are portions of annular plates, and are so placed that their inner edges are just below and extend a short distance under the edge of the table A. The plate P islittle wider than the inner launder, H, and its outer edge projects slightly over the launder 11, so any material th'at is washed off the table A onto the deflecting-plate P will be carried over the waste launder H and be deposited in the launder H by itself. In the same way the plate P is made wide enough to extend across the launders II and H and to discharge all matter washed onto it into the outer launder, H. These deflectors (of which there are two, P P, shown in the drawings) may be so made in'sections, one section sliding under the other in the direction of their length, that they may be made to include a greater or less drainage-surface of the table A, thus adapting them to different grades of ores and conditions of working.

If it is desired, the arms 0 0 may be made hollow and provided with jets like the pipe E, and, be ng also connected with the hollow shaft 0, can be used to assist in washing off the cleaned ore. Brushes may also be attached to the arms 0 O, to assist in clearing the table A of the concentrated ore.

If the machine is to be used for concentrating slimes containing but one inineral,or when it is only desired to free a mixture of different minerals from the waste matter, only a single adjustable deflecting-plate, as P, is required, and the outer launder, H, may be dispensed with. On the other hand, it may be desirable to effect a number of separations,wlien two or more adjustable deflecting-plates maybe used with a corresponding number of launders.

By the use of the apparatus just described, the process of concentrating slimes or other fine ores becomes a continuous one, and by varying the amount of the shake given to the table A, the proper regulation of the water-j ets of the pipe E, and the adjusting of the deflectors P P, slimes of different grades and those containing mixtures of several minerals may be rapidly and easily cleaned of all waste matter and separated.

Another advantage of this apparatus is, that it requires much less water to operate it than other concentrators of the same class, and at the same time I am enabled to use a separating-table of a much smaller pitch than usual, both being of great importance in reducing the loss of valuable ore, besides making the process of concentration much more regular and thorough than can be attained on a table which hasa steep pitch.

I am aware of the English Patents Nos. 399 of 1864, and 3,418 of 1875, and make no claim to anything shown therein.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a conical table flaring outwardly and downwardly, of the pulp and water distributers, a deflector adjustable as to length, the launders arranged around the outer edge of the table, and mechanism whereby the pulp and water distributers and the deflector are moved in unison, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a conical table, the pulp and water distributers, and the launders with an adjustable deflector revolving around 9 the outer edge of and moving independently of the table, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a central shaft, a feed-box, and watcr-distributer, of a conical table loosely fitted to move independently of and be supported by said shaft, and mechanism, substantially as described, for revolving tne shaft and giving the table a shaking niotion independently of the motion of the shaft supporting it, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with a central shaft, of the feed-box, water-distributer, deflector, and the conical table, all supported on said central shaft, and the table' constructed to be moved independently of said shaft, and mechanism, substantially as described, for giving said shaft, feed-box, water-distributers, and deflector a continuous rotary motion, and the table a shaking motion, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

The combination, with the shaft 0, of a conical table provided with collars B B, loosely encircling said shaft, one of said collars having the upper part of the conical table attached thereto, and the other receiving the stays supporting the table, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the oscillating table A, the shaft 0, revolving independently of the table, and constructed and arranged to support and guide it, and mechanism, substantially as described, for revolving the shaft and giving the table a shaking motion independently of the shaft supporting it, as set forth.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR lnixcn, \V. F. Hxrooon'.

WALTER MCDERMOTT. 

